Three-way electric plug



July 10- 1928. 1,676,439

w. ILE

THREE-WAY ELECTRIC PLUG Filed March 19, 1925 1 -E l8 F7 l6 g o Fl G." 4

FIG." 6

gwucuhaz Patented July 10, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ILE, OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW FACTURIN G CORPORATION, OF TU JERSEY, ASSIGNOR -'10 ILEITE ELECTRIC MANU- CKAHOE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

THREE-WAY ELECTRIC PLUG.

Application filed March 19, 1925. Serial m. 16,608. This invention pertains to a multiple socket fixture, moulded wherein the casing comprises electrical insulating material.

One of the diiiiculties arising from the manufacture of fixtures having moulded casings is the liability of the casing to crack particularly inthe region adjacent the metallic parts which are embedded within the casing, during the formlng operation.

The

present lnvention is concerned with 1 the provision of a fixture which obviates the necessity for embedding the contact plate within forming operation,

the insulating material during the and which reduces the percentage of breakage during the manufacturing operation. a

A preferred object of my invent1on 1s the provlsion of a three way socket wherein the cooperating. contact members are positloned is the e may be within a casing without necessitating the employment of members.

a number of small securing An advantage of this invention ase with which the cooperating parts assembled, and the rigidity of such parts when in use.

The preferred form for carrying out my invention is illustrated in the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of an electric an end elevation of this embodyin my invent-ion- Fi 2 is b fixture shdwn i n Fig.

1; Figs. 3 and 4 are sections takenon the lines Figs. 5

mg two forms of contact plates used in the 33 and 44 respectively in Fig. 1;

and 6 are perspective views illustrat- My fixture is shown in connection with a casing 10 of electrical insulating material,

such as bakelite, which is moulded to the desired shape. opening in the As shown, the casing has an nature of a pocket 11 adjacent the middle portion thereof and has passa e- Ways 12 and 13 leading outwardly from t e pocket and 15 in the in one direction, with passageways 14.- leading outwardly from the pocket opposite direction. Additional assageways 16 and 17 are shown as exten ing longitudinally of the pockets. These last mentioned assa ewavs however are s aced apart by a wall 18 which is formed integrally with into the 19 and p A th pocket being electrically insulated from the bladev 19. The threaded shell provides a socket into which an electric device such as a lamp may be inserted. The pocket also functions to position contact plates 24 and 25 within the passageways 13 and 15 respectively. The blades 24 and 25 therefore have the same polarity as the socket 21.

The blade 19 is electrically connected to a blade 26 which referably embodies a one piece member and extends into the assageways 12 and 14 respectively. The lade 26 therefore has a polarity opposite to that of the blades 24 and'25. and cooperates there- With to provide an outlet on each end of the casing.

A threaded member 28 is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 as being employed for positioning the blades 19 and 26 as well as the socket 21 within the casing. Suitable electrical irisulat'ing members 29 and 30 may be employed for preventing a short circuit between the blade 19 and the socket.

The construction thus described provides an electric fixture wherein the casing may be moulded without requiring any of the metallic parts to be embedded therein. This reduces the percentage of breakage durin the manufacturing operation. A further afva ntage of the device embodying my invention is the fact that only one threaded securing member need be employed for positioning the various parts within the casing. This facilitates the assembly of the device, and reduces the tendency for breakage during use.-

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing of electrical insulating material having a pocket therein, and having a' pair of passageways leading outwardly from the pocket in opposite directions, a contact plate extending across the pocket and into one of the passageways on each side of the pocket, a threaded socket member mounted in the 'pocket and opening outwardly, a separate contact plate in each of the remaining passageways, said separate plates cooperating with the first mentionedplate to' provide independent outlets and having a portion thereof in abutting engagement with the socket member to provide socket member in the pocket,

electrical contact therewith, inlet current conducting members longitudinally of the pocket, means for electrically connecting one of the members to the socket member, means for electrically connecting the other member to the first mentioned contact plate.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing having a cen trally located pocket and having a pair of passageways leading outwardly from the pocket in opposite directions, a contact blade common to two of the passageways, a single independent contact blades in the remaining passageways, each of the independent blades having a laterally extending portion engaging the socket memberand providing an electrical contact therewith, a pair of current carrying members disposed within the casing and projecting outwardly therefrom, one of said members being electrically connected to the socket member, the other of said members being connected to the first mentioned contact plate, and means for holding said socket member and blades within the casing.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing having a centrally located pocket and having a pair of passageways leading outwardly from the pocket in opposite directions, a contact blade common to two of the passageways, a threaded socket member in the pocket, independent contact blades in the remaining passageways, each of the independent blades having a laterally extending portion engaging the outer surface of the socket member and providing an electrical contact therewith, a pair of current carrying members disposed within the casing opposite the socket and projecting outwardly therefrom parallel with the axis of the socket, one of said members being electrically connected to the socket member, the other of said members being connected to the first mentioned contact plate, and a screw located at the axis of the socket and connected to the last mentioned inlet member and insulated from the socket member and serving to position said socket member and blades with reference to the casing.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of an electrical insulating casing having a pocket in one side, a

threaded sleeve in the pocket, a pair of inlet contact members extending into the opposite side of the casing, one of, said members joined to said sleeve and the other of said members being connected to a central. contact member comprising a screw at the axis of the sleeve, and two pairs of contacts each pair on opposite sides of the sleeve, each of said contacts being located within an exposed recess in the casing, and one of the contacts of each pair abutting the side of the threaded sleeve, and the other contact of each pair and extending across the base of the sleeve and insulated from it and being connected by the central screw with one of the inlet members.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing of electrical insulating material having a pocket therein, and having passageways leading outwardly in pairs directly from the pocket, the inner passageway of each pair entering the pocket adjacent its base and the outer passageway of each pair abutting the side of the pocket, a threaded socket member within the pocket, cont-act plates within the outer passageways and in abutting engagement with the outer surfaces of said contact member, conducting blades in other passageways, a second'contact plate ofopposite polarity to thefirst mentioned plates in the inner passageways and extending across said pocket and being electrically insulated from the socket member, and a single securing member for positioning the socket member and said blades within said casing.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of an insulating body having a cylindrical pocket and two aligned diametrically opposite cylindrical extensions on an axis transverse of the pocket, each extension having two passageways one abutting the side of the pocket and the other registering with the base of the pocket, a metallic threaded shell in said pocket, separate contact strips in the passageways opposite the sides of the pocket, which strips contact with the shell, a strip in the passageway registering with the base of the pocket insulated from the shell, and the central contact connected with the last mentioned strip.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

' WILLIAM ILE. 

